Our neighbor to the north is lending Santa Clara volleyball one of their bight young talents, Natasha Calkins. Calkins, a 6'1 middle blocker/right side, who hails from Calgary, Alberta will be joining the 2014 Bronco volleyball squad in August.
"We have a hidden gem in Natasha Caulkins," said Bronco head coach Jon Wallace. "She is very athletic and possesses a big jump and a big arm. We expect Natasha to play all three front row positions for us, which is a testament to her athleticism and play making ability. I am very excited to work with her, as I am sure she will develop quickly."
"I chose to go to Santa Clara because they have a great program that is up and coming. I believe the team is going to be very successful, and I am excited to work hard and hope to contribute to that success during my time there," said Calkins.
Calkins was a multi-sport athlete at William Aberhart High School, where she participated in volleyball, basketball, track and swimming. Much to Coach Wallace's pleasure, Calkins has decided to focus her athleticism on the volleyball court. At William Aberhart, Calkins' team was the Calgary Junior Girls City Champions in 2011-12, the Calgary Senior Girls City Champions 2012-13 and the Calgary Senior Girls Provincial 3rd place in the 2013-14 season.
In amateur leagues, Calkins played for Canuck u16 (2011-12) and earned Provincial 2nd place. She also played for Team BC White (2011), Team Alberta Blue (2012) and Dinos u18 (2013-14) where her team was the Provincial Champions and earned a national third place finish.
Calkins comes from an athletic family. Her mother, Esmie Lawrence, was an Olympian at the 1988 Summer Olympic Games where she ran track (4 x 400 meter relay) for Team Canada and she also ran professionally in France. Her father, Brian Calkins, played basketball at Grande Prairie Regional College.
